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Sunday, May 31, 2009

Do you have a Canadian coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you

For years I've been getting Canadian coins in my change and for the most part I am happy to see them but a recent inventory has been eye opening.

Not counting recent finds and purchases I have pulled out about 525 Canadian coins (C$25.61) from my American change. Back in November of 2005 I reported about 300 Canadian finds meaning in four years I gained about 225 more.

What is a person to do?James UK has a similar situation with 223 Euros totaling €30.70. A simple universal Coinstar machine would be helpful. I understand each coin needs its own weight, magnetic, and specific gravity sensor but at least one Super-Coinstar in the worlds major cities NY, London, Paris, et al.

How about smelting them?
I would love to have some copper bars. Pretty sure I can get the temperature needed but this just maybe a violation of the apartment's lease.

Throw them back into circulation?
Sure simple enough with all the commemorative coins floating around no one would notice. Unfortunately there is a good chance I'll be getting the back next time I get more change.

Art, brother, can you make something groovy?
I do have access to the college's manufacturing equipment but these coins are too small.
Day trip?
True, I know some friends who take summer jobs up in Canada and I can visit them and act like a big shot by paying for everything in Canadian money. At $0.90 to the U.S. Dollar it may be worth it to just step over the border and buy some groceries and come back.

Stare at this coin and if any inspiration hits you feel free to leave a comment.

Side note: Any changes or weirdness to this blog is an attempt to update the style and make it better. Feel free to leave a comment if something goes wrong or any improvements my simple brain can actually make.

Do you have a Canadian cent and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Do you have a penny and want to find out its value? Leave a comment and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

Half all of the traffic to this blog are inquiries about the 1944 U.S. Cent. I've posted it about in the past and still most visitors disregard the entry and still ask if the coin is super-valuable.

I'm truly sorry but it's not.

Even if you were to find one in Mint State 65, no trace of wear, barely noticeable blemishes, and full red color, it would only be worth $3.00 in retail and $0.50 average buyer's price.

Finding this well circulated 1944 cent in my change marked the 20th time I found this particular coin. The only reason I don't put it back in circulation is over fears I'll find it again. There are 14 known Doubled Die Obverses and 3 Doubled Die Reverses all hold a small premium. There are some made from the 1943 steel blanks worth thousands and other off-metal errors worth a lot.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Do you have a quarter and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

145 days into the year and I finally get a 2009 coin. Friends and family members who just collect state and territorial quarters have found every current design including the D.C. quarter. I on the other hand haven't seen anything new since Alaska, Hawaii escapes me.

Unlike most I was in favor of adding the U.S. territories to the state quarter program but the addition of National parks for the next 11 years is just ridiculous. In 2004 Daniel Carr made the following design which I think is better than the one that is currently used. His other design were good enough to made for New York and Rhode Island.

On the circulating coin "Isle of Enchantment" is written in Spanish "Isla del Encanto" above the Puerto Rican hibiscus, Puerto Rico's state flower. The building is the Sentry Box at San Cristobal Fort, El Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

All people from Puerto Rico have been U.S. citizens since 1917 and the island became a territory in 1952. By 1998 America asked for an indefinite extension before allowing Puerto Rico to become independent or a new state.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Do you have a coin from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

Got these two at different locations but on the same day. Both were mistakenly given back as nickels. One thing the constant redesigning of our coins have done is to utterly confuse some of those behind the register. Still with no 2009 finds and a lower production means free finds don't seem to be in the future. I guess I'll stick to talking about non-U.S. coins

Usually when looking at an unfamiliar coin you can quickly gauge what is the obverse and what is the reverse. If Queen Elizabeth II is on it then that is the obverse. A coat of arms can is now seen more on the obverse but I tend to think of as a reverse feature since the U.S. is not big on coat-of-arms. Animals, plants, and nationally symbols are almost always reverse features.

The first pictures shows the obverse of a Canadian nickel and the reverse of a Bahamian nickel and the second photo is vice-versa. I admit even I get confused when trying to figure out which is the front or back of any coin.

Until 1974 The Bahamas had the Queen on every coin and note. Then out of nowhere they switched to the Bahamian Coat of Arms. They are still a part of the Commonwealth of Nations with Queen Elizabeth as head of state but I guess they choose to show their independence with something of their own. On the currency side they have gone back and forth depicting different important figure including the Queen.

This is trend on many of the 53 commonwealth headed by the Queen. Many countries either by official law or just artistic reason have temporarily, permanently in some cases, removed the Queen on coins. Granted it is easier to identify coins of 40 years ago but the explosion of designs makes up for the confusion.

While I will get the Canadian mintage, eventually, the Bahamian one may never be known. Many times the coins of the Bahamas were made in several different countries plus there was a six year gap between the last five cent coin issued in the Bahamas. These 1998 coins may have been made for years or a short run it is not fully known.

Do you have a coin from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Do you have a Euro coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

After a month of no post I come back with a Euro. Shame on me. Still it is the first thing I found since my Where's George dollar. I found some interesting things I'll post in next few days but for now let's get through this mundane coin.

As you can tell the 5 Euro Cent is fully detailed but is dirty. The fingerprints are permanent since the the mixture of water and chloride ions, which are inorganic salt from sweat, etch the surface of the coin leaving a gap or ridge that fills with dirt. Watching Law & Order: SVU a few months ago I also learned that vegans leave less fingerprints since they have lower salt in their body. A more carnivorous person leaves a greater mark on metals because of higher salt content.

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